Brick-press



' 2 Sheets-Sheet '1.

L. KIRK. BRIGK PRESS.

No. 15,135. PatehtedJune 17, 1856.

2 SheetsSheet 2.

L; KIRK. BRICK PRESS.

PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS KIRK, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

BRICK-PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 15,135, dated June 17, 1856.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lnwrs KIRK, of Reading, in the county of Berks andState of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement inBrick-Presses; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theannexed drawing, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinalsection of the same taken through axis of vertical shaft. Fig. 3 is asection, showing mold and piston, and adjacent parts, at the time ofpressing the brick. Fig. 4: is a top view of mold box detached. Fig. 5is a top view of curved piece, by whose slot the delivering piston isactuated. Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the hopper perpendicular toaxes of rollers.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures denote the samepart.

The nature of my invention consists in constructing the machine with anoscillating mold chamber, containing a piston reciprocated by theoscillations of the aforesaid chamber, so as to effect the discharge ofthe brick when the chamber has reached the lowest point of its travel,and retract sufficiently far, to form the back of the mold, when themold chamber assumes its position in line with the direction of thecompressing piston, the mold chamber having upon its front edge, a clayguard, concentric with the trunnions of the chamber, so as to preventthe passage of clay from the hopper during the downward travel of themold chamber.

The details of construction and operation will be understood from thefollowing description and reference to the drawing; in which the severalparts of the machine are thus represented. I

A is the mold chamber, supported between two cheeks b, by trunnions a.Upon the mold chamber is a clay guard B, whose convex surface isconcentric with the trunnions a. Within the mold chamber is the pistonP, connected in rear with the slot 0 of brace C, by the bar (I. Thisslot is eccentric with respect to the motion of the mold chamber aroundits trunnion axis, and thereby causes the movement of piston P withinthe mold chamber. This eccentricity of slot 0 is so regulated that thepiston shall move forward to the mouth of the mold chamber, as shown inFig. 2, when the said chamber has reached the lowest position, and shallrecede to the position shown in Fig. 3 when the mold chamber is at itshighest point.

H is the hopper in which are the rollers D and E, (Fig. 6) forpulverizingthe clay. These rollers are driven by the horizontal shaft F,to which the power is applied. On shaft F is a pinion G meshing withlarge cog wheel W on shaft I. This shaft has a crank J, to which isconnected the compressing piston P.

On the shaft I below the crank J is a cam wheel R, (the face of which isshown by red lines in Fig. 2). In groove f of this wheel is a pin 2'depending from a cross frame 70. This frame has two rods 1' leading fromit to cranks s on the trunnions a, of the mold chamber. The oscillationsof the mold chamber'are effected bythis connection of the trunnioncranks with the grooves of wheel R.

The operation of this press is as follows: Dry clay is fed to the hopperand passes to the space in front of the compressing piston, which by theaction of crank J, forces it against the head of piston P, at this timeconstituting the back of the mold, (as shown in Fig. 3). As the crank Jwithdraws piston P from the face of the molded brick, pin'z' is drawn bygroove f, toward the axis of shaft I, forcing rods r toward the moldchamber, thereby moving cranks s and thus turning the trunnions a, ofthe mold chamher. This turning of the trunnions carries the moldchamberinto the position shown in Fig. 2. During this movement, bar cl isforced to traverse the slot 0, and is thus carried toward the axis oftrunnions a, forcing piston P into position shown in Fig. 2, whichdischarges the brick. As the chamher A passes downward the clay guard Bcovers the opening below the hopper and prevents the issue of claytherefrom. By the continued rotation of the shaft I, the pin 2' is,after the passage of point x, carried from the axis of the shaft,causing the mold chamber to rise to the position shown in Fig. 1. Duringthis movement, slot 0 draws structed arranged and operated in the man-10 piston P backward, and the chamber is ner and for the purpose setforth.

ready for molding another brick. In testimony whereof, I have hereuntoWhat I claim and desire to secure by Letsigned myname beforetwosubscribing Wit- 5 ters Patent, is v nesses.

The oscillating mold chamber, in combina- LEWIS KIRK. tion with the clayguard, concentric with its Witnesses: trunnions, and the piston P,actuated by the WM. B. ScHoENER, oscillation of the mold chamber, whencon- PETER FILBUT.

